[ RadSafe ] " House Committee Passes Bill to Create US Isotope Supply "

[Franta, Jaroslav]

UNRESTRICTED | ILLIMITÉ

Gee.....  one wonders why they didn't simply keep FFTF in operation - retasked to meds production ??

Jaro
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House Committee Passes Bill to Create US Isotope Supply
Device & Diagnostic Letter
Vol. 36, No. 42
26 October 2009

To head off future shortages of the most commonly used diagnostic radioisotope, a House committee has passed a bill to create a steady domestic supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99).

The American Medical Isotopes Production Act, H.R. 3276, gives the Energy Department the authority and funding to help the private sector establish a U.S. supply of Mo-99 without using highly enriched uranium, according to a statement from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
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If passed, the House bill could help advance two private projects already in the works, Matmuller said, as it includes a $163 million provision to support domestic production of the isotope (D&DL, Sept. 14).

In February, Covidien signed an agreement with Babcock & Wilcox to develop technology to manufacture Mo-99 in the U.S. When complete, the collaboration could supply more than 50 percent of the U.S. demand for the radioisotope (D&DL, Feb. 2). Last year, Advanced Medical Isotope signed an agreement with the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center to develop the isotope.

Neither of these projects has applied to formally begin the regulatory approval process, Robert Lewis, director of NRC's Division of Materials Safety and State Agreements, said.

In related news, the NRC also has noticed a shortage of another prominent medical isotope, iodine-131, Matmuller said. 
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